Immediate past National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Uche Secondus, has admonished members of All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) to focus on addressing the electorate rather than attacking the Publisher of ThisDay Newspapers, Chief Nduka Obaigbena.
He noted that having followed the issues behind the media war between the two parties, he wondered why the APC presidential media team chose to leave the business of marketing their principal for which they were appointed and be chasing Obaigbena.
In a statement, yesterday, Secondus, who is also the National Technical Adviser of PDP PCC, described the attack on Obaigbena as a needless distraction.
“Rather than joining issues with the media mogul the APC team should have used the time and energy to position their candidate positively in the eyes of the public.
“Unless they are surrendering to the town-talks that they have nothing to sell in the current political space and, therefore, chosen to cause unnecessary distractions,” he asserted.
The Rivers State-born politician regretted that “given the persisting tireless role of the Nigerian media in the socio-political development of the country from Independence in 1960 to the June 12, 1993 democratic struggle that birthed this Fourth Republic, one expects the media to get involved in some more pragmatic matters not on undesirable squabbles.”
He warned against the penchant of persons gifted with power, money and influence playing god in disregard to their source, noting that “if the APC team continues in unnecessary attacks and distraction to the ongoing national campaigns,” Nigerians would conclude that they have nothing to offer.
His words: “From whatever perspective you want to look at it, Arise TV and Thisday Newspapers have not gone outside the dictates of their profession in asking a presidential candidate of a ruling party to present himself for public scrutiny.
“It is indeed an aberration that a person aspiring to rule over 200 million people is dodging from talking to them or answering their questions, even from his media establishment.”
Further, the former PDP chairman urged APC media handlers not to cover up if their candidate is seriously challenged in anyway to face public interrogation, stressing, that is what is required to avoid the deceit and propaganda of 2015 that brought the country where it is today.
“The health of your candidate should worry you, because it would be unpatriotic to foist on the country unhealthy person for a position that requires complete mental and physical alertness,” Secondus added.
